Ten Things to Tell your Dentist on your next Dental Check Up

A trip to the dentist is certainly not something most people look forward to, however, you can keep the number of visits to a minimum by following the standard procedure of maintenance: brushing, flossing and dental check-ups every six months. 

Dental check-ups are what I wish to speak about in this article to ensure a good doctor - patient relationship. As in any relationship of worth, honest communication is essential. Honest communication tells me that you trust me as your dental professional and allows me to tailor your check-up to address your specific and individual concerns.

So, what TEN things do I need you to tell me, your dentist, when you arrive for your next dental check-up? 1. Provide name and phone number of your regular family physician, should I need to contact him. 2. Advise if you are allergic to any anesthetic medications I would be administering for routine dental work. 3. Make sure I am aware of diabetic disease, as this disease does increase the risk of gum disease, 4. Don't be afraid to say-you are afraid of me. I assure you, I won't take it personally. If you are afraid of a certain drill, or can't sit for too long a period and need to get up and stretch, or even that you prefer not to have an anesthetic for small cavities; I will try my best to accommodate by taking a break with drill periodically, allowing stretch breaks, and if possible I will not numb your tooth. 5. It's very important to let me know if you have any gum pain, bleeding gums while you are brushing, or you feel any bumps or lumps on wall of mouth or tongue or on gums. 6. Please share if you experienced sensitivity to hot or cold while you were eating. 7. If you are fortunate to have dental insurance that is wonderful, but don't be afraid to honestly share financial concerns regarding necessary treatment. The care of your teeth and mouth are important to me, and I will try to work out a payment schedule with you that is as painless as the treatment itself. 8. If in the course of treatment you are feeling something uncomfortable or unusual; do signal me and I will stop to talk about it. 9. For my female patients; tell me if you are pregnant and what trimester you are in. Hormonal changes in pregnancy can effect teeth and gums and I also need to weigh how x-ray treatment or other procedures might effect your unborn child. 10. If you are taking any anti-coagulants (blood thinning medication) I do need to know this, should bleeding occur in the repair of your teeth.  

Honest communication is essential to ensure a quality dental check-up, or to put it another way: "Be true to your teeth, or they will be false to you." 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introducing Dr Mike Saba

Image
We are pleased to welcome Dr Michael Saba to our staff at The Laser Dental Group.  In our effort to provide maximum service to our patients, he will be working Mondays and Tuesdays in Union and Thursdays and Fridays in Westfield.  He will also be available at least once a month on Saturdays in each office.  Dr. Michael Saba is a Union County native that graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University in 2008. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in the historic city of Philadelphia at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry.  You can read more about Dr Saba and our available hours at www.thelaserdentalgroup.com.
Read more

5 Ways to Maximize Your Dental Benefits Plan

Image
With terms like PPO, HMO, in-network, and out-of-network to describe dental benefits, it's no surprise that many don't understand how to make the most of their plan. This means you may be overlooking benefits that are critical to maintaining your oral health. Don't settle for just what you understand as part of your coverage. Read on for 5 simple tips to take advantage of everything your plan has to offer. Tip #1: Take Time to Understand Your Plan The best way to take advantage of your plan is to ensure you know the type of plan it is and its deductibles, copayments and annual maximums. There are two main types of dental plans: HMO Plans - with an HMO, you'll be required to choose a dentist in your primary network to handle most of your needs. You are charged a relatively low copayment for office visits, procedures etc. There is no coverage if you visit an out-of-network provider. HMO's typically have no deductible or maximum. PPO Plans - With a PPO, you
Read more

WE CAN’T BE CLOSED MOUTH ABOUT THIS ANY LONGER . . .

Image
The New Westfield Office under construction. New treatments, new technology -- there is always something new to ‘brush up’ on if a dentist is going to give his patients the excellence that they deserve. The Laser Dental Group dental professionals are always on top of the latest technology by attendance at many conferences and seminars in order to better serve their patients.   Apparently that knowledge has paid off with more and more people choosing The Laser Dental Group for their dental care needs. When we opened our first practice in Union, NJ at 1205 Coolidge Avenue in 1987 and then another office at 581 Westfield Avenue, Westfield in 2011 we were seeing an average number of patients per year.  I am grateful to our loyal patients for their ‘word of mouth’ marketing efforts! By reason of our many new patients and our wanting our old and new ‘family’ to feel comfortable, we are almost near completion of a brand new facility located at 301 Lenox Avenue in Westfield, NJ.
Read more